Christopher Porrino, partner and Chair of Lowenstein Sandler’s Litigation Department and former Attorney General of New Jersey, will be recognized by the Essex County Bar Association with its Samuel S. Saiber Professional Achievement Award. This award recognizes an attorney whose achievements demonstrate an unwavering dedication to the fair and efficient administration of justice.
The Essex County Bar Association established its Achievement Awards to recognize those individuals or entities who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting integrity, professionalism, zealous advocacy, and the fair administration of justice in the Essex County legal community and the legal profession generally. Each year, the Essex County Bar Association selects honorees in order to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of its members and all attorneys who live and practice in Essex County.
According to the Association’s website, “The practice and professional life of an attorney receiving this award should reflect the vision of Samuel S. Saiber himself, who stated ‘Earning a livelihood practicing our profession is important, but unless, with it all, we have a continuous sense of our obligation to promote justice and the public good, we have failed to carry out our solemn pledge.’”
Porrino returned to Lowenstein Sandler in 2018 after serving as the 60th Attorney General of New Jersey. While leading one of the most powerful Attorney General Offices in the nation, Porrino oversaw the implementation of bail reform, the most significant reform of New Jersey’s criminal justice system in its history, via a model that is now being replicated nationally. He also took forceful action against anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination, and pioneered the country’s strictest opioid prescribing rules, paving the way for an almost immediate and very steep reduction in the number of opioid painkillers prescribed by physicians in New Jersey. In addition, he worked to improve trust between police and the communities they serve, and led the planned closure of a Civil War-era youth prison in one of the most significant reforms in the history of the state’s juvenile justice system.
In his private practice, Porrino helps Fortune 500 clients achieve critical goals and defend against seemingly insurmountable challenges. He advises and represents businesses and individuals in civil, criminal, and regulatory matters involving securities, consumer fraud, banking, alcoholic beverage control, gaming, cannabis, energy, insurance, tax, antitrust, real estate, and the environment, among others. He also conducts internal investigations for clients faced with allegations of wrongdoing or suspected wrongdoing by insiders.
In January 2024, Porrino was appointed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to chair the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission, a 13-member Commission comprised of designees of prosecutors and law enforcement, the Attorney General’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, and the Judiciary, to examine racial and ethnic disparities in the state’s criminal justice system.
Porrino has been named one of America's Leading Lawyers for Business by Chambers USA every year he has been eligible since 2009, and was recognized as Attorney of the Year by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2018. In 2024, he was ranked as Number One on NJBIZ’s Power 100 list.
The Awards will be presented at the Association’s 2024 Annual Installation & Awards Reception to be held on May 6, 2024, at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, NJ.
About Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with over 350 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C. The firm represents leaders in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular emphasis on investment funds, life sciences, and technology. Recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and high standard of client service, the firm is committed to the interests of its clients, colleagues, and communities.
